This is our catalog of courses. We will occasionally adjust the course listing to reflect the addition of new courses and the retirement of others.
JRR Tolkien was able to create the most popular work of literature of the 20th century, The Lord of the Rings, out of the depth of his spiritual insight and because of his profound Catholic faith.
Total Classes: 6
Duration: 55 minutes
Prerequisite: None
Suggested grade level: 9th to 12th grade
Suggested credit: ½ semester Literature
Description
JRR Tolkien was able to create the most popular work of literature of the 20th century, The Lord of the Rings, out of the depth of his spiritual insight and because of his profound Catholic faith. This course will examine Tolkien’s spirituality by reading his letters, by studying his life story, and by examining the works he created. We will thereby learn, through Tolkien’s example, how faith and personal sanctity can and should play itself out in the life and works of every Christian. This course will be more than an examination of JRR Tolkien; it will also be a glimpse into the power of God’s grace working through an artist and his art.
Outline
These are the general subjects we will be covering, but they are subject to change or re-arrangement.
Introduction – Samples from the Letters of JRR Tolkien
“Leaf by Niggle”
Tolkien on Love
Tolkien “On Faerie Stories”
“Mythopoeia”
Tolkien and Lewis, “I Call You Friends”
Materials and Homework
Course materials: The Letters of JRR Tolkien (https://amzn.to/3UWHHwl); Tree and Leaf (https://amzn.to/3CrZoNc) and PDFs provided by the instructor.
Homework: Students will be expected to complete the assigned reading for each class meeting as well as interaction and questions for each class; a Final Exam will also be assigned. Estimated homework time: about an hour per day outside of class.
